ROCKFORD - Homeless Person's Memorial Day, which will remember 59 area people who died in the last year, will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Carpenter's Place, 1149 Railroad Ave.

The names of the dead will be read at the annual service held on the day nearest to the first day of winter, which is the longest night of the year. This year's roll call includes people from age 22 to 69 who at some point in their lives were homeless.

"Many homeless persons die alone, silently and without public recognition," said Shelton Kay, chair of Boone and Winnebago Counties Continuum of Care for the Homeless. "This is a special way to formally remember our homeless friends and neighbors who died in 2013."

A National Health Care for the Homeless Council study said people experiencing homelessness are three to four times more likely to die young than those who have shelter.